NaVorro Bowman

Bowman's ACL/MCL tear from January 2014 kept him out all last season, but his knee should be in good form more than a year and a half later. While Bowman is now healthy, his effectiveness remains to b...

Signed a five-year contract extension in November of 2012 that will keep him in San Francisco through the 2018 season. Adjusted contract for 2014, converting $3.27 million of $4 million base salary into a signing bonus.

It's the first time Bowman has been able to take the field since suffering a gruesome ACL tear during the NFC Championship Game in January 2014. Despite missing the entire past season, Bowman is still viewed as the 49ers' anchor in the middle following the offseason retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, though it remains to be seen if the 26-year-old can rediscover his pre-injury form. He was exceptionally productive during his last full season in 2013, recording a career-high 145 tackles and two interceptions over 16 games.

4/11/2015

Bowman is expected to be ready for on-field team activities at the end of April, CSN Bay Area reports.

Bowman's gruesome knee injury from last year's NFC Championship game ended up costing him the entirety of 2014. He will hopefully be at 100 percent health well in advance of next year. His absence means that Chris Borland might be the top IDP option at linebacker until the year's conclusion.

The report did not add anything about Bowman's health or expected role, but he will be eligible to play this week for the first time all season. Bowman made 145 tackles last season, so if he plays a regular role down the stretch, he could be a late factor in leagues that use IDPs.

Bowman recorded his third-straight season with at least 135 tackles, and 2013 was his best in the NFL, finishing with 145 tackles, including 120 solo stops, five sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles. He'd be a top IDP pick if he hadn't suffered a torn ACL in the NFC championship game, which is expected to keep him out of training camp, and likely a spot on the PUP list to start the season. If that does happen, he will be ineligible to play the first six weeks of the season, grealty reducing his season-long totals.

2013

It seemed like an unfathomable suggestion just two years ago, but Bowman appears to have surpassed Patrick Willis as the top fantasy producer on the 49ers defense. The Penn State product entered his second season as a starter in 2012, finishing with 143 stops (92 solo) after totaling 136 tackles (107 solo) in his first year as a starter in 2011. With those two entries on his résumé, Bowman looks like a near lock to finish among the league's top-five tacklers as long as he plays a full season. Although he's an elite talent in his own right, that Bowman is surrounded by other great players means opponents can't single him out in the game plan. And Bowman almost never leaves the field – he logged 1,007 snaps on defense last year despite playing on a unit that often made quick work of opposing offenses.

2012

Bowman couldn’t have been much better in his first season as a starter in 2011, as his 143 tackles ranked seventh in the league, and his 111 solo stops ranked second. Bowman was one of the primary contributors in a historically great San Francisco run defense last year, and he was only 22 years old. It’s reasonable to expect improvement in 2012, particularly in the sack and interception categories. Bowman has the athleticism of a defensive back and figures to be more disruptive in coverage and as a pass rusher this season. It’s less likely that Bowman will improve his tackle total, however, as 143 is a high bar, particularly given that he’s competing with Patrick Willis for tackles in a defense that doesn’t spend much time on the field. Bowman has an extremely high floor, in any case, because offenses will forever be more worried about Willis and the Smiths than him.

2011

Bowman will start at inside linebacker. He could provide IDP value by racking up tackles playing next to Patrick Willis.

2010

Bowman is a skilled rookie who will likely back up veteran Takeo Spikes at inside linebacker in anticipation of becoming a starter in 2011.